Sonia Sabri Brings EKALYA to the WOMAD Festival This Weekend

SONIA SABRI is to perform her thrilling solo dance work, EKALYA at another of the UK's biggest festivals this summer. Tonight, July 26th at WOMAD, Sonia will take to the dance stage with her band, led by Sonia Sabri Company's Musical Director, Sarvar Sabri, and will blow the audience out of their tents!

"I'm so excited about performing at Latitude and WOMAD this summer," says Sonia. "We've heard so much about both festivals and feel very lucky to be invited to perform. We have energetic presentations of dance and live music at both which is our speciality.

"In addition to performing at WOMAD, Sarvar and I will take part in the Festival's Taste the World session at 6pm where a master chef is going to cook one of our favourite Indian dishes - Mughlai Paneer Masala which will be served with delicious mango lassi to 50 lucky members of the audience. Alongside the cooking, we'll be sharing some chat, rhythm, melodies and cooking tips - sounds like the perfect evening!"

Ekalya (from the Sanskrit 'solo') is a barnstorming, solo composition that intricately and deftly weaves dance with music and features dancer/choreographer Sonia Sabri's electrifying signature footwork, whipping turns, complex rhythms and storytelling mime and gesture. A contemporary/classical celebration of Persian and Indian artistry expressed through the intricate language of Kathak dance, Sonia will be accompanied onstage by master tabla player Sarvar Sabri (left with Sonia) with musicians on sitar, harmonium and vocals.

SONIA SABRI is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and artistic director of Sonia Sabri Company, the Birmingham-based company she co-founded with her husband, Sarvar Sabri, musical director and tabla maestro. Sonia Sabri Company is Associate Artist at mac, Birmingham's leading arts complex and tours nationally and internationally.

Sonia choreographs most of the company's work - Red, You, Kathakbox, Jugni - and has collaborated with choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh to produce Parallels, Drishti, and Neon Dream and with dancer/choreographer Ash Mukherjee on Kaavish and Labyrinth which is currently on tour. Sonia's vision is to present Kathak in contemporary ways for a wide audience and to work with collaborators and performers whose disciplines range from music and dance to poetry, design and film.

Sonia Sabri Company's Musical Director, Sarvar Sabri, is a world-class musician and composer. A Master tabla player and founder of the Sabri Ensemble, Sarvar has played and collaborated with the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Bournemouth Sinfonietta, East of England Orchestra, Sinfonia Baltica, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Says Sarvar Sabri: "When we work on the music for a new Sonia Sabri Company piece, we love discovering new musical talents, particularly if they live locally. We've sometimes found that musicians and singers, who often hail from my home town of Delhi, are literally living around the corner from us in Birmingham!"